never, EVER, put ointment, or anything greasy on burns. cold water is about the only thing you should put on a burn, to arrest the temperature ofthe burning skin. and unless you know what you're doing, don't cover or dress a burn, unless it's bleeding.
people used to put butter on burns!!!! they might as well have put an eggwash on it.
nothing like helping the skin to get that sweet buttery taste, and golden crust.

Did you know that lemon extract is also good for a burn?
Helps the hurt and you smell like pledge.

Actually, for a while there, I was keeping a can of Solarcaine in the kitchen for such mishaps. Works wonders.

jkath, lemon would be good for inhibiting bacteria, but if you think about it, you're adding a mild acid to a burn. i think that would make things worse.
doctors have special, very poisonous creams for burns, containing silver sulphadiazine. my doc gave us some when my son had bad diaper rash. it works 100x better than any otc stuff.

Given my nature, I burn In more ways than one But, really I'm always careful with my
knives and keep them sharp. A dull knife for me is disaster..
But get me around something hot and yep I burn myself..The worst was when I decided to make a pot roast, got the pot on added the oil, did't pay attention to time..When I went to slide the meat into the oil, which by now was smoking, it slipped off the fork and the oil splatterd both hands and my forhead and nose..My hands got the worst of it and it was prettu bad...Anti-biotics and paying more attention helped But even with my asbestos finger tips, I still get my wrists and loswer arms returning or taking things out of the oven...Will I ever learn NOPE I'll just keep on cookin

I think people put butter on a burn back in the day because burns dry out and the skin peels off, just like when you sunburn, and you try to keep that to a minimum by moisturizing the skin.

As for cutting or burning, I burn more often, but I did end up in the emergency room the night before Easter this year because I cut my finger slicing a roast. I was on Coumadin at the time and the Dr. said not to cut yourself when you're on Coumadin, but they never told me what to do if you DID cut yourself. It wasn't a terrible cut in the grand scheme of things, but it bled like a massacre for hours and hours. So, lesson learned...Don't cut yourself if you're on Coumadin, and if you do, you may as well head for the ER.

While I did peel part of myself while doing taters recently, I am usually in the burn category. Got a nifty new scar on my wrist from cooking veal to prove it.

I am also famous around here for not turning the oven off after using it.

Turn off the oven,sure, later... I have lots of goofey things that drive my son-in-law around the bend..I turn on the water, yep leave it going, but let someone set down a glass and look away, woosh it's in the washer, same with the lights, off they go...So you're not alone there Bug, I'm right beside ya
kadesma

I would have to say that I have cut myself more than burnt myself. As some of you may recall the worst was last December on the food processor blade. That little accident required a trip to the ER and 7 stitches.

A cutter here. I remember once I was home and did something stupid with the blender(too embarrased to say what it was)Anyway, lets just say it was horrible, I was terrified of even looking at it.I tried to put a band-aid on but it wouldn't stop bleeding, I even tried to sleep, but the pain was too much, so I got up, and went to the hosipital. The docter had to stitch two of my fingers, and told me not to touch water with the hand for a week. Anyway as I was living a lone, I called my mum who turned up to stay with me for two weeks while I enjoyed her cooking!

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There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ~George Bernard Shaw

I'm resurrecting this thread because it made me laugh a bit. I reread the answers and realized I am once again in a burn phase of stupid. I have a HUGE scar on the back of my hand where I got a steam burn several months ago and I just burnt the crap out of my forefinger and thumb getting a bowl out of the microwave. Unbeknownst to me, that bowl must have some metal in its construction. I'm a blistery mess.

I think I'd almost RATHER cut myself. It hurts less!

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__________________You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. Robin Williams Alix